Henry James : Collected Travel Writings : The Continent : A Little Tour in France / Italian Hours / Other Travels (Library of America) [Hardcover]

Henry James (Author), Richard Howard (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Library of America | Publication Date: September 1, 1993

Observant, imaginative, rich with literary allusions and historical echoes, James's travel writings are both literary masterpieces and unsurpassed guidebooks, here together for the first time in one authoritative set (in two volumes: Vol. 1, Great Britain and America: English Hours, The American Scene, Other Travels, and Vol. 2: The Continent: A Little Tour in France, Italian Hours, Other Travels), including four books and 32 essays, most previously uncollected. From a radically changing New York to Provence, Tuscany, and Rome, James visits all the places still on the traveler's itinerary, capturing radiant impressions of French countryside, the hauntingly desolate Suffolk coast, Florentine masterpieces, Venetian color and light. Joseph Pennell's exquisite drawings are reproduced from the original editions.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In addition to many literary classics, James composed a large canon of travel writings, much of which was written as a correspondent for The Nation . In the latest addition to its ongoing series, the Library of America here collects many of James's best travel pieces, such as "English Hours," "The American Scene," Italian Hours," and "A Little Tour of France." Also included are approximately 175 illustrations and scholarly notes compiled by editor Howard, poet, critic, and professor of English at the University of Houston, along with the chronology of the author's life that is standard to all volumes in the series. Given James's high position in American and English letters, this is recommended for both travel and literature collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Unmatched in travel literature ... an incomparable record able to stand with his great novels. -- Elizabeth Hardwick

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 845 pages
• Publisher: Library of America; First Edition edition (September 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0940450771
• ISBN-13: 978-0940450776
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Henry James (1843-1916), the son of the religious philosopher Henry James Sr. and brother of the psychologist and philosopher William James, published many important novels including Daisy Miller, The Wings of the Dove, The Golden Bowl, and The Ambassadors.

Customer Reviews

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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece of perception, understanding, and interpretation, December 18, 2006

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Michael D. Jones "Reader" (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Henry James : Collected Travel Writings : The Continent : A Little Tour in France / Italian Hours / Other Travels (Library of America) (Hardcover)

Henry James' travel writings on France and Italy are a case study in fine arts perception, understanding and interpretation. He treats each new locale as a new horizon to be engaged, absorbed, and internalized through a hermeneutic of analogical interiority. Roaming within the halls and chambers of French and Italian architecture opens, through the text, new conduits for an understanding of the vast interiority that exists within the self-examining-self. James is a master at relating the space of each location with the thoughts, instincts, relational perceptions and education of the observer. Reading these texts is like engaging each site oneself and discussing with a learned and trusted friend about what one is experiencing, not just what one is seeing. The art work of Joseph Pennell is an amazing addition to these works and masterpieces on their own. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. It will be a cherished addition to your collection and a book you will pick-up time and again to walk with the "Master" through France and Italy as you discuss, reflect and remember literary events that where home to these marvels. If you happen to be planning a trip to either France or Italy, take this along to add a level of historical and cultural depth to your experience. Some of what you will read has disappeared into history, but what remains is a beautiful historical and cultural continuity with Henry James as your guide.